Device for combining regulated quantities of materials



Aug. 9, 1938. G. c scHAuB 2,125,414

DEVICE FOR COMBINING REGULATED QUANTITIES OF KATERIALS Filed Au 29, less4 Sheets-Sheet 1 $171 WLTXFS-ZMz BY rgwl'im ATTORNEY G. C. SCHAUB DEVICEFOR COMBINING REGULATED QUANTITIES OF MATERIALS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledAug. 29, 1935 m NT RIM MY T n w Km G p Y Q a w A N T% MN U fi Q Q sw O.l r M u H m i flfi 11 1 5 7% g R v H .M//\ v k #7 k R. .n WM m m Q V 8%w W Q v M i Q w Aug. 9, 1938. s. c. SCHAUB DEVICE FOR comamme REG LATEDQUANTITIES OF MATERIALS 4 Shefs-Sheet s INVENTOR Gordon 5 A! Filed Aug.29, 1935 Aug. 9, 1938.. c sc u 2,126,414

DEVICE FOR COMBINING R'EGULATED QUANTITIES OF MATERIALS Filed Aug. 29,1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ii/ l INVENTOR g Gordon 544415 ATTORNEY PatentedAug. 9, 1938" DEVICE FOR COMBINING REGULATED QUANTITIES OF MATERIALSGordon 0. Schaub, Bayonne, J., assignor to The Best Foods, Inc.,poljation of Delaware Application August. 29,

10 Claims.

This invention relates to a device for supplying measured quantities ofliquid and granular material, such, for example, as milk and salt, to amoving stream of plastic material, such as a butter substitute.

In the manufacture of butter substitute from cocoanut oil and culturedmilk emulsion, it is the practice, as described in the application ofJacobSchaub, Serial No. 621,653, filed July 9, 1932, now Patent Number2,077,644 issued April 20, 1937, to add salt and milk to the plasticstream of butter substitute as it passes from the water expeller to thefinal worker. The present invention is concerned with an improvement inthe device for adding the salt and milk, which was described inthatapplication and more fully in the application .of Jacob Schaub andGordon C. Schaub, Serial No. 621,653, filed July 9,1932, now PatentNumber 2,020,435 issued November 12, 1935.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved devicein which the actuation of the conveyors for the ingredients being addedare driven through a motor, or other suitable means, in accordance withthe movement of the material towhich the ingredients are to be added. Afurther object is to provide an improved clutch mechanism by means ofwhich the rotation of the main drive shaft may be transmitted to theshaft which operates the con veyors, in accordance with the movementof'the material to which the other ingredients are being added. Otherobjects will become apparent.

In describing the invention, reference will be made to its use in theaddition of salt and milk in a system such as that described in theaforesaid patents, although it is not intended to limit it to thisparticular use, since it -will-be obvious that it may be used in othersystems and for the l addition of other materials.

An'embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a. vertical section through the cabinet, showing themechanism within it, certain portions being broken away to show themechanism behind them.

I Figure 2 is a fractional side elevation of a portion of the device.

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical section of the clutch mechanism takenon the center line of I the shaft, the ball and socket connections tothe first friction band, which would not normally ,show in this view,being shown in dot and dash lines to indicate its position relative tothe other 5 parts of the mechanism.

New York, N. Y., a cor- 1935. Serial, No. 38,360

Figures 4 and 5 are sections on the lines 4-4 and 5-5 respectively, ofFigure 3.

Figures 6 and 7 are perspective views of the friction bands employed inthe clutch mechanism.

The cabinet Ill encloses the mechanism for actuating the conveyors andat one side is provided with a bin I l for salt, having slanting sidesand provided with a horizontal screw conveyor l2 for moving the salttoward a vertically dis- 1o posed screw conveyor l3 within a cylindricalcasing Hi. The upper end of the casing I4 is provided with an openingill at one side by which the salt is discharged into a trough I6. Ahorizontally disposed screw conveyor I1 is positioned at the bottom ofthe trough i6 and extends through a casing i8 having a discharge nozzlel9 at its outer end through which the salt is discharged to the .buttersubstitute moving through the trough 2|, extending, for example, 20 fromthe water expeller to the blender of a system, as illustrated in theaforesaid patents.

The milk is supplied through the pipe 22 to the nozzle 23 by themeasuring pump 24 connected with a source of supply of milk through the25 pipe 25. t

The motor 26 drives a shaft 21 through a belt and pulleys. One end ofthe shaft 2'I extends into a reduction gear box and is connected throughthe gears in this box to the shaft 28. The screw conveyor i2 is drivenfrom the shaft 28 through the chain 29 connecting sprockets keyed to theshafts l2 and 28. The vertical conveyor screw I3 is driven from theshaft 21 through -a belt 30 (which is preferably positioned outside.

of the salt bin but inside ofcabinet ill), a shaft 3|, a pinion 32 onthe shaft 3i and a bev'el gear 33 fixed to the shaftmf the screwconveyor l3.

' The pump 24 is actuated by the shaft 34 which is driven by the chain35 from the shaft 36. yThe horizontal screw conveyor it is also drivenfrom the shaft 36 through the extension 36w of the shaft 36, a speedchange mechanism of standard construction, illustrated at 3'7, the shaft38 and the chain 39 running over sprockets fixed to the shafts l1 and38.' The shaft 3b" is driven from the shaft 28 through the chain ii! andthe clutch mechanism, which is illustrated generally at. 4| and is shownin detail in Figures 3, 4 and 5.

Referring to Figure 3, the sprocket t2, driven by the chain 40, is keyedto the hollow shaft 43, surrounding the shaft 36 and supported in thebearings 46 and 45 in such a manner that the shaft 36 and the sleeve t3may rotate independently of each other. The hollow shaft it has a fiange4', at one end, which has fixed to it the drum 4! having an internalbearing surface 48 and an internal bearing surface 49, the latterbearing surface being of reduced diameter as compared with the surface48.

The clutch 4| is actuated by the paddle wheel 50, which is fixed to theshaft Ii supported in the bearing 52, and is positioned so that itsblades project into the stream of plastic butter substitute 20 in thetrough 2i (see Figures 1 and 2). A

sprocket 53 is pressed against a collar 54, fixedto the shaft Si, by thecoil spring 55, in such a manner that upon normal operation of thepaddle wheel 50, the sprocket 53 will rotate with the shaft ii. If theforce on the paddle wheel ll becomes excessive, however, the sprocket 53will slip on the shaft Si and thus prevent bending of the blades of thepaddle wheel 50 or other damage to the drive mechanism.

The chain it drives the sprocket 51 from the sprocket 53. The sprocket51 is free to rotate on the shaft 36, a bushing SI, of fibre or othersuitable material, being positioned between the moving surfaces. An arm59 is fixed to and extends from the collar of the sprocket 51 and isprovided at its outer end with a ball-headed pin til forming a portionof the ball and socket connection between the sprocket and the frictionband ii. The brake band I bears against the surface 48 of the drum 41and has fixed to one end a socket 42 to receive the ball-headed pin 60.A second socket is is fixed to the other end of the friction band I toreceive a ball-headed pin 84 which is rigidly fastened to the collar 85.The collar is also free to rotate upon the shaft 34, a bushing Ilasimilar to I! being positioned within the collar.

The collar 85 is provided with an arm 36 carrying a ball-headed pin 1 atits outer end. A friction band I bears against the middle portion of thesurface 4| of the drum 41, which friction band is provided at one endwith a socket is to receive the ball-head of the pin U. The other end ofthe friction band 48 is rigidly connected by means of a bar II to theends of two friction bands H and Ila positioned on opposite sides of theband It and also adapted to bear upon the surface 44 of the drum 41. Theother ends of the bands H and Ila are rigidly connected together by aplate I! having an arched portion at N to permit the band I to movefreely under it. A socket 14 in the plate 1! receives the ball-head ofthe pin II, which pin is fixed rigidly to the collar 18. The collar 18is around the shaft I and is fixed to rotate with it by means of the setscrew 11.

In operating myimproved machine, the salt is placed in the trough llwithin the casing and the pump 2! is connected with a source of supplyof milk through the pipe 2!. The motor I is started whereby the screwconveyor l2 and the screw elevator is are actuated to feed salt to thetrough It. While-the motor 2' is running, the collarandthedrumflarerotatedbythechain and sprocket connection between theshaft 28 and the collar 43. While the paddle wheel II is not moving, theclutch 4i is disengaged and the shaft flisstilLsothatnosaltormilkisbeingfedto the butter substitute.

As the butter substitute 2| moves through the trough Ii; it rotates thepaddle wheel ll which actuates the chain li-to turn the collar I8 aboutthe shaft 38 in the direction of rotation of the drum 41. (clockwise asviewed from the left of i), This movement of the collar ll causesthefrictionband ti toexpandandbearuponthe rotating surface 49. Whensufilcient force is applied to the friction band to make it grip thesurface 48, the collar 65 will be turned with the drum 41. This in turnwill cause the friction bands 68, ii and lid to expand and grip thesurface 48, whereby the shaft 36 will be rotated through the frictionbands 68, II and 'i la and the pin it. The rotation of the shaft 36 (ina clockwise direction as viewed from the left in Figures 1 and 3) willactuate the milk pump through the chain 35 and will rotate the saltconveyor screw IT (in a clockwise direction) through the speed changedevice 31 and the chain 39. The rate of feed of the salt screw may beadjusted by means of the speed change device to give the desired rate ofdelivery-of salt and the rate of feed of milk by the pump may be variedby adjusting the pump or varying the ratio of the sprockets, to give thedesired ratio of milk to salt.

The sprocket 51 rotates in the same direction as the drum 4'! and duringnormal operation of the clutch device the friction band should neverattain the same speed as the drum, 1. e., there should be continuousslippage between the bands and drum. As the bands are opened in thedirection of rotation the drum tends to increase the opening of thebands by applied friction on' the bands. The speed of the sprocket 51,therefore, not only starts this work action but also checks it, byallowing the bands to open only to a point where suilicient friction hasbeen applied, or sufficient work energy collected. This principle may becompounded as many times as may be required. The speed of the sprocket51 controls the amount of slippage and so regulates the speed of themechanism for feeding salt'and milk.

The ball and socket joints between the friction bands permit suflicientrelative movement to prevent binding during the operation of the clutch.

The several friction bands connected in series permits the force of thepaddle wheel It to be augmented by the drum 41 driven by the motor andso reduces the load upon plastic material during the actuation of theconveyors.

When the movement of the butter substitute 24 is retarded or stops, thefriction bands will loosen their grip and the collar 43 will rotaterelative to the shaft 8', thus discontinuing the feed of salt and milk.

It is apparent that many modifications of the invention may be made andthat it may be applied to other uses and it is not intended to limit itto the particular embodiment or use shown. For example, other clutchmechanisms may be used whereby the actuating means for the conveyors maybe accurately regulated in accordance with the movement of the materialto which the ingredients are being added.

The terms used in describing the invention have been used in theirdescriptive sense and not as terms of limitation and it is intended toinclude within the scope of the appended claims all equivalents of theterms used.

What I claim is:

1. A device for combining regulated quantities of materials, comprisinga conveyor for one of the materials, means for actuating said conveyor,a clutch positioned between the said conveyor and the means foractuating it, and means for actuating said clutch by the movement of theother material to regulate the movement of the conveyor by the actuatingmeans for the conveyor.

A device for combining regulated quantitiesveyor, a clutch positionedbetween the said conveyor and the means for actuating it, said clutchincluding a rotating drum and a friction band adapted to bear upon saiddrum, and means for actuating the clutch by the movement of the othermaterial to regulate the movement of the conveyor .by the actuatingmeans for the conveyor. w

3. A device for combining regulated quantities of materials, comprisinga conveyor for one of i the materials, means for actuating saidconveyor,

a clutch positioned between the said conveyor and the means foractuating it, said clutch including a rotating drum and a pluralityof.'fric-'- tion bands connected serially to each other and adapted tobear upon said drum, and means for actuating said friction bands by themovement of the other material to regulate the movement of the conveyorby actuating means for the conveyor.

4. .A device for adding a granular material to a plastic material movingin a stream comprising a conveyor for the granular material. means foractuating said conveyor, a clutch between the said conveyor and themeans for actuating it, a paddle wheel having blades adapted to cut intosaid plastic material and be actuated by the movement of it, and meansfor actuating said clutch by the movement of said paddle wheel.

5. A device as defined by claim 4 including means actuated by the meansfor actuating the material.

conveyor, for conveying a liquid to said plastic 6. A device as definedin claim 4 in which the clutch includes a rotatingdrum driven by themeans for actuating the conveyor and a. friction band driven by thepaddle wheel and adapted to bear upon the surface of said drum.

7. A device as defined in claim 4 in which the clutch includes arotating drum driven by the means for actuating the conveyor, aplurality of friction bands connected in series and adapted to bear uponthe surface of said rotating drum, said friction bands wheel. V

8. In a friction clutch, a rotatable drum having separate surfaces, ashaft within said drum; a pair of bands arranged to each grip one ofsaidsurfaces of said drum; a member rotatably mounted on said shaftandconnected directly to an end of each of said bands. means connectingthe other end of one of said bands to a driven member, and meansconnected to the other end of the other of said bands for expanding orcontracting said other band. 7

9. A device as defined in claim 8 in which the separate surfaces of thedrum and the bands have diiferent diameters and the larger band isconnected to the driven member.

being actuated by said paddle 10. A device as defined in claim 8including means for rotating the drum so that driving power istransmitted to the driven member from a separate source in accordancewith the speed oi the expanding and contracting means.

cou on c. sermon.

